Love is an Addiction
by NiennaAngel
Summary: MichaelxLee with MiguelxKai and mentioned BryanxRay. About the ups and downs of a sometimes relationship and how easy it is to break the heart of the person you love.
1. Cigarettes

Welcome to my little story that has no defined plot as of yet. I'm working on it. I swear! Anyway… it does contain shonen-ai/yaoi. The main couple is MichaelxLee, but there are other couples as well including BryanxRay. Hope you enjoy and please review.

Love is an Addiction

He sat on the railing of the balcony outside his team's penthouse idly smoking a cigarette. He knew he should give it up, but it was the one thing that seemed to steady his nerves anymore. His sister gave him hell every time they spoke about it. She had watched first hand what smoking could do to a person once enough time had passed. He sighed letting out a stream of smoke as he did. His eyes followed the smoke as it dissipated into the smog filled morning sky. He really hated living in the city sometimes. "Michael." He ignored his coach's call preferring to finish his cigarette at his own pace and not hurry through it for her sake. "Michael we're leaving. Put the cigarette out and get a move on." He took one last drag before stubbing out the burning end on the balcony rail. As he walked past his coach he let the smoke escape his lips watching in concealed amusement as she waved her hand in front of her face.

"Relax Judy. It's no worse than what you breathe everyday just by stepping outside." He sauntered past her and into the living room to grab his stuff and head to the bus. He changed his direction and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth before going to the stadium. His sometimes lover hated when he tasted like tobacco.

As they walked down to the bus Judy looked at him critically. "If you hate the taste of tobacco so much that you brush your teeth every time you smoke to get the taste out why do you smoke?"

"I'm not bothered by the taste. It's just a habit I have." He quickened his pace a bit and climbed onto the bus content to tune out his teammates and coach by turning his ipod on. He watched the people on the street as they made their way across the city to the beystadium. The other teams were probably already there waiting for them to show up. He didn't really want to have to greet everyone. He really just wanted another cigarette since he was forced to stop halfway through his last one.

As predicted the other teams were already there. Including the one his sometimes lover was on. The All-Starz made the rounds greeting everyone that they hadn't seen since the last tournament. His cell phone started ringing earning him an annoyed look from everyone else. He shrugged it off as he pulled it out and answered it. "This is Michael."

"I would hope so since it's _your_ cell phone I called."

"Hey Meko. What's up?"

"Huh?"

"You're the one who called me so I'm assuming there is something you want to tell me." He let out a small sigh of annoyance.

"Oh yeah. Temporarily forgot due to your idiotic greeting."

"Kameko." His tone got slightly more serious in an attempt to get her to tell him why she had called in the first place.

"Okay. Okay. Sheesh. Don't get your boxers in a bunch. I was watching the sports news just now and something came up about your boy toy."

"Meko who on Earth are you talking about?"

"Lee, from the White Tigers. You remember him; you've shagged him a couple times."

"Kameko! What the hell?"

"Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway, rumor has it he's not that into you anymore."

"Since when do you believe in rumors?"

"Never. Just thought you might like to hear that he was spotted getting cozy to Tala in Russia."

"Thanks for the info Meko, but I have to go now. Try not to take rumors so seriously in the future."

"Sure sure. I'll see you tomorrow right?"

"Yeah. Meet me at the entrance to Central Park at noon."

"Okies." Michael hung up after her confirmation.

"What did Kameko want?" Judy was of course the firsts one to question him on the phone call.

"Nothing important. I'll be outside." Without another word he wandered outside as he pulled his cigarette pack and lighter out of his coat pocket. The October day was shaping up to be a chilly one with a constant breeze that made the burgundy haired blader shiver slightly as he placed the cigarette in his mouth.

"I hope you plan on kissing me before you light that."

"Word is you'd rather be kissing Tala." Michael didn't even bother to look at the Chinese teen that had come to stand beside him.

"Who told you that? Your new girlfriend?" Michael flinched involuntarily at the sharp tone to his lover's voice.

"Meko's my baby sister. She called to tell me that you were caught cuddling Tala in Russia. Hard to imagine why you'd be there."

"I was there because Ray needed support if he was ever going to confess his feelings to Bryan. Besides, Tala is a complete and total slut. I'd probably catch something from him." There was a small snort of laughter from the White Tigers captain that made the other smirk.

"Probably." Michael took the cigarette out of his mouth before facing Lee. He caught the shorter teen's lips in a gentle kiss as an apology for jumping to conclusions. Lee smiled up at him before shaking his head as Michael lit up his cigarette.

"You know eagle, those will kill you someday."

"So Meko tells me everyday I talk to her. Unfortunately I've been addicted a little too long to consider quitting without some serious incentive besides my general future health." Lee sighed and wrapped his arms around Michael's waist gently.

"Sorry I couldn't stay longer. I was feeling caged again."

"You don't have to apologize Lee. I know you can't live in the city. I don't expect you to live somewhere that I can just barely stand despite being raised here. You weren't raised around all the buildings and smog. You're just not used to it like I am."

"How come you never told me about your sister before?"

"Kameko and I weren't raised together. We got split up when we went into foster care after our parents were killed. You can come with me tomorrow to meet her if you want. She won't mind."

"I'll think about it." They stood silently while Michael finished his cigarette. The eagle was completely relaxed when he finished. As they walked back inside he made sure to tell himself that it was the nicotine and not listening to the low rumble that was Lee's purr that made him so relaxed.

And so ends the first chapter of my first ever serious attempt at fan fiction. Don't ask where this is going because I haven't really decided yet, but any suggestions will be welcomed. Mass amounts of apologies if they seem a little OOC. I haven't watched beyblade in awhile so I'm not really sure if they're in character or not. Also, expect my OC Kameko to have a very limited role in this story. All reviews are welcome except flames unless a good reason is given as to why you hate my story. Thank you.


	2. Are You Coming Home With Me?

The second chapter of my story that is starting to develop a plot. I even think I know where I'm going with this. Enjoy!

_blah_ thoughts

"blah" talking

* * *

Lee sighed as he separated ways with Michael knowing that his eagle wasn't fond of showing off their relationship. _If that's what you could call it_. He rubbed his eyes and joined his team after taking once last glance at the American. Mariah raised a questioning eyebrow at him. He simply shook his head to signal that now was not the time or the place for the conversation that she wanted to have.

Tyson was the one to draw his attention back to the whole group when he started complaining about when the tournament was going to start. "Day after tomorrow" was all the response he got from his team captain.

"Then why are we here?" Daichi promptly whined.

"This is merely a two hour get together for you bladers so that you can catch up on what everyone else has been doing. It is also designed to give you a break in your training schedules since I know how hard you all have been working for this tournament." Mr. Dickenson's reply got several groans as well as cheers.

Mariah promptly dragged Lee back outside to have a conversation with him about what was going on between him and Michael. "Spill big brother. I know that you're with Michael so why are you two doing everything to avoid each other?"

"We're not avoiding each other Mariah. Michael isn't the kind of guy who likes the whole world to know about his personal life. Sometimes I have to pester him for hours to find out what's bugging him. It's not like we're an official couple anyway. We date whenever we're in the same city, but otherwise we consider ourselves single."

"That's not what you want though is it? You want to be so much more to him even though you're not willing to make any more sacrifices." Mariah had that look in her eyes that screamed she knew exactly what was going on and there was no way for Lee to get out of this questioning session.

"I can't live here in New York. It's just not possible. I always end up feeling like I'm suffocating. I need to be able to leave when I want to. I need to be away from here and get in touch with nature again. We weren't raised to handle this kind of life Mariah. You know that." Mariah was stressing her brother and she knew it. She also knew that if she didn't ask questions about their relationship Lee wouldn't think about it.

"Maybe you don't have to live in New York. Maybe you can live outside the city. It's just a suggestion." She left him to think it over for a few minutes. Lee, however, did everything in his power not to consider her questions or suggestion. He was perfectly fine with how his relationship with Michael was going because it let him keep from committing too seriously.

"Now if only I hadn't fallen in love with him."

Michael walked outside for a cigarette before the All-Starz went back to their penthouse and the other teams to their hotel. The event had been stressful or so he was telling himself. He refused to admit that the distant look on Lee's face and the lack of interaction with the lion was the reason he was lighting up his fifth cigarette of the day. His brain registered the strong arms that looped around his waist as he took a deep drag. "You coming home with me tonight?"

"You want me to?"

"What kind of stupid question is that? Of course I want you to come home with me. I haven't seen you in months."

"Then I'll go home with you. Will Judy and the others be alright with it?"

"They've yet to complain. I highly doubt that they'll start now." Michael sighed before continuing on. "Do you want to go out to dinner or just get take-out and hibernate in my bedroom for the rest of the day?"

"Take-out and hibernation sounds good" he replied with a soft chuckle. "Why don't you put that out and we can go back to the penthouse early?" Michael took one last long drag before tossing the finished cigarette on the ground and stepping on it.

Lee woke up slightly sore and freezing. They had kicked off all the covers earlier in the evening but now that he wasn't sweating the air felt cold on his bare skin. He shifted to grab the blankets from the bottom of the bed and promptly noticed his lover's absence. With a soft sigh he climbed off the bed and found his boxers to slip into before wandering out of the bedroom. He found Michael exactly where he expected to find the eagle, sitting on the balcony rail smoking a cigarette. "The bed isn't nearly as warm without you in it."

Michael looked up slightly startled by Lee's voice. "You were sound asleep when I came out here two minutes ago. If you're cold you don't want to be standing out here. The wind is a bit chilly." Lee sighed as he wandered over to wrap his arms around the smoker's waist and bury his face between his shoulder blades. "Go back to bed lion. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"It's lonely without you. Do you really need to smoke that badly?" Much to Lee's surprise Michael stubbed the cigarette out and climbed off the balcony railing. Lee smiled up at him and pulled him back toward the bedroom. Once inside both stripped down before climbing in under the covers.

Lee fell asleep almost immediately, but Michael laid awake thinking about addiction for a while longer. _Is it possible that I'm beginning to become as addicted to Lee as I am to cigarettes? It's becoming harder and harder to say 'no' to him. Hell, maybe I'm even more addicted to him. He's the only person I'd put out a cig for early without a good reason. I'll have to talk to Meko about this tomorrow. For a 16-year-old she certainly seems to have a better understanding of emotions and life than I do. Hmm, Lee's purr is intoxicating._ With that last thought the eagle joined his lion in the realm of dreams.

* * *

And there you have it. I hope you're enjoying this story because it's been very interesting to write. If you would be so kind as to do me a favor of reviewing and telling me if you actually like this I'd be forever grateful. Once again, any suggestions as to plot, other pairings, or things I might want to work on would be wonderful and considered. 


	3. A Shove In The Right Direction

Okay, I'm a moron.I just now realized that I failed to mention that the only thing I own is the plot and Kameko. I do not own Beyblade in any way shape or form. Too bad... I'd have quite a bit of money if I did. :p

I realize that I just updated like an hour ago, but I really got this into my head and just had to write it down. Thanks for the reviews. Hope I updated fast enough for you Elemental Gypsy!

* * *

Michael walked into the penthouse kitchen and turned on the coffee pot before placing water on to boil for his lover's morning tea. Lee was still asleep and probably would stay that way for another couple of hours if not forced to wake up. Michael glanced around the penthouse mentally taking note of who was doing what. Emily and Judy were eating breakfast at the kitchen table while discussing research. Their dedication to research thoroughly amazed the eagle. Eddy was no where to be seen, but that was to be expected since Michael was fairly sure that he hadn't come home the night before. He could hear Rick's music coming from his room despite the early hour and the guaranteed complaints from the people who lived below them. 

Without even realizing what he was doing he made Lee's tea, poured his own mug of coffee and was at his bedroom door. He pushed the door open carefully trying not to spill the hot liquid that would make both teens more tolerable until they had fully awakened. He set his coffee on his bedside table and held the mug of tea a few inches from his lion's nose waiting for the orange scent to wake him up. Michael forced back a laugh when one bronze eye popped open to find out the source of the scent. Smiling slightly he accepted the mug before pushing himself into a sitting position. The sat in comfortable silence as they sipped their respective drinks. It wasn't until they had both finished and were relaxing comfortably in each other's arms that the silence was broken.

"Are you going to come with me to meet Meko today?"

"I can't. I promised Ray I'd have lunch with him. He wants to talk to me about something."

"Bryan?"

"It's the most likely reason. Despite the fact that they've been dating for a month now Ray still doesn't think Bryan's really that interested."

"Never guessed Ray to be so unconfident." Lee simply shrugged before settling into silence once again.

Michael walked around Central Park with Kameko that afternoon looking for a nice quiet place to sit and relax in. Eventually they took refuge under the shade of a large tree in a near deserted area of the park. Kameko watched her big brother with interest. "So that's what you look like when you think. I don't believe I've ever seen you do it before" she teased gently hoping to get him to open up about whatever was bothering him.

"Meko, do you believe that you can become addicted to people?"

She tapped her lips with her index finger, a habit she'd developed when thinking, as she gave Michael's question serious thought. "Yes. Most people don't call it addiction though. They generally call it love. Are you in love with Lee?" Her question was simple on the outside and yet Michael had no idea as to how to answer it.

"I honestly don't know. I hate it when he leaves and I'm more relaxed when he's around. I smoke less when it's just the two of us and smoke more when he's in China. When he's not around I wake up reaching out for him, but when he's sleeping next to me like last night I don't wake up. It feels like I'm becoming as addicted to him as I am to nicotine."

Kameko poked Michael to get his attention focused back on her. "That's called love big brother. I'm very happy for you. Now all you have to do is commit to him." She giggled at the face Michael pulled at the idea. "I said 'commit' not 'settle down' Mikey. Just because you commit to someone doesn't mean you have to settle down, get a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence, a chocolate lab and 2.5 kids. It means make you and him and official couple. Cut out the ability to see other people. Be his and his alone no matter where either of you are."

"Maybe. I'll think about it."

"You do that. As much fun as this is I have to go. Mrs. Berkley wants to see me and I don't want to be late. Call me tomorrow after you're done competing." Michael kissed the top of her head before letting her walk off.

Michael started wandering around the streets thinking over Kameko's words. Maybe he was falling in love with the lion. It certainly would explain a lot. He wasn't paying attention to what was around him until he saw to familiar people that he never would expected to see together. Miguel and Kai were walking down the street occasionally stopping to look in store windows. Michael didn't miss the pair holding hands. He walked up and greeted them to find out if they were indeed a couple. "Hey Kai, Miguel. What are you two up to?"

"Michael! We're just going for a walk. What are you doing?" Miguel seemed surprised and more than a little nervous. Kai was simply glaring daggers at him but it had little affect on the eagle since the phoenix was practically hiding behind Miguel.

"Just walking around myself. It's pretty much guaranteed that the penthouse is going to be a zoo, especially if Eddy decides to bring home his dates from last night. So, how long have you two been together?" He had phrased the question bluntly hoping to get a reaction out of either of the two and was generously rewarded when both turned an interesting shade of red.

"Two months. Not that it's any of your business" Kai ground out.

Michael smirked and glanced into the store window they were standing in front of. His smirk quickly faded into a frown at the sight of two pendants, one of an eagle and one of a lion, proudly on display. He sighed as he placed his hand against the window to get a look at the price tags on both necklaces and realized that they weren't that much. He could afford to buy them, but he definitely wasn't sure if he should.

Miguel's smooth voice broke through his thoughts bringing him back to his present company. Michael gave a confused look that told the couple he hadn't heard Miguel's question. The gargoyle chuckled but repeated his question. "Are you having trouble with Lee?"

"Trouble isn't the right word. More like I'm confused as hell about our relationship and where it's going. My sister swears I'm in love with him, but I just don't know."

"From the way you two act when you think no one's watching I'd have to agree with your sister." Michael glanced over to Kai surprised by the statement. "I've seen you two when you're out smoking. You seem perfectly happy with each other. You're not afraid of committing are you?" The superior tone to Kai's tone made Michael want to deny everything even if it was true.

"You could always give commitment a shot. It can't hurt anymore than not committing. I mean, if people like Kai and I can make a successful relationship so can you and Lee." Michael nodded and looked back at the pendants in the window. "I think they'd look good on you two. Don't forget to give him the eagle and keep the lion for yourself." Michael saw the couple leave out of the corner of his eye as he continued to stare at the pendants.

* * *

Hope you liked it! This should be the last time we see Kameko for a while except for in a conversation with Michael to tell him to hurry up and confess his love before he loses Lee. That's just the kind of girl she is! 

Please review! It makes me so happy to read reviews.


	4. Better Off

Yay! The fourth chapter! Enjoy and remember that I don't own Beyblade.

"blah" speaking

_blah _thinking

* * *

Lee walked into the Bladebreaker's hotel room waiting for Ray to finish getting ready so that they could go to lunch. He glanced around the hotel room noticing that the majority of the team wasn't around. Kai was standing in front of the mirror messing with his hair that already looked perfect. "Primping Kai?" Kai simply sent him a glare that Lee easily brushed off. Ray appeared with a smile on his face for the room before quickly leading Lee to the restaurant they were eating at.

"What's got you in such a good mood?"

Ray blinked at him before answering. "My and Bry's one month anniversary is tomorrow. I think he's planning something special."

Lee chuckled and waited until the waitress came and left with the drink orders to further question the giddy tiger. "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about or is there something else?"

Lee watched in slight surprise as Ray started to chew on his lip, a dead giveaway that Lee wasn't going to like what came out of his mouth. "I wanted to talk to you about you and Michael actually. I'm worried about you. You two seem to care about each other so much, but you won't make a commitment. I really don't get it and I know it's hurting you."

Lee rubbed his eyes as he thought about his friend's statements. He wasn't surprised that Ray was worried, the tiger always worried about his closest friends after all. "It's difficult with Michael. I can't tell how much he likes me." Lee paused when the waitress came back with their drinks and for their orders. As soon as she left he picked up where he left up. "I know he likes me enough to be with me, but what I don't know is if he's in love with me. I don't want to push him away, which is what will happen if I start asking him to commit and/or tell me how he feels. I'll take what I can get because it's better than nothing."

"Is it really? Are you sure you aren't hurting more being with him on and off like this without knowing than if you weren't with him at all?" Lee didn't have an answer for that and Ray knew it. They quickly switched their conversation back over to Bryan and Ray's anniversary the next day.

Lee walked into the All-Starz Penthouse and straight to Michael's room. The eagle was sitting on his bed cleaning Trygle, but quickly put it aside to take the clearly stressed lion into his arms. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I'm just thinking about something Ray said during lunch." Michael nodded and didn't question further. He was well aware of the fact that when Lee decided not to volunteer information after the first question it was best to leave the feisty teen be. Lee had stormed out one too many times because Michael had been persistent in questioning him when he hadn't wanted to talk for him to make the mistake again.

"I ran into Kai and Miguel today. Apparently the two have been dating for a couple of months." Lee looked up at him skeptically. "Honestly. They were holding hands and blushed when I asked them if they were dating."

"There are two people I never expected to date. I guess it just shows that you can't decide who you fall in love with." They stopped talking after that preferring to simply enjoy each other's company than anything else. Somehow they managed to fall asleep before being awakened by a pounding on the door and Emily shouting for them to get a move on they were leaving for dinner in a few minutes.

The two bladers simply straightened their clothes and walked out the door. They joined the others at a restaurant that served food they would all eat and had a buffet for those who tended to eat more than they really should. Lee watched through jealous bronze eyes as Michael flirted with a fan that had come up and asked for an autograph while they waited for their meals to be delivered. Mariah elbowed him to get his attention, but he simply brushed his little sister off. Michael glanced over at him and flashed a smile that only served to further infuriate the already irate lion.

After dinner Michael grabbed his arm to see what exactly was wrong. Lee growled and yanked his arm out of Michael's grip. "I'm going back to the hotel for the night. I'll see you at the tournament tomorrow." With that said Lee stormed off as his team ran to catch up to him but not before glaring at the American eagle.

Lee paced his hotel room trying to call down and failing miserably. He simply went from angry to upset that Michael would be so dismissive of him when he was sitting only a few feet away. His heart was breaking and there wasn't anything he could think to do about it. He knew that their relationship was anything but exclusive, but it hurt that Michael was actually seeing other or at least flirting with other people. He had always been faithful to his eagle and had thought it was the same way for Michael.

The White Tigers along with Ray watched as Lee paced and went through a full range of emotions. They didn't know how to help and were pretty sure that the only person who could help was Michael. They, however, were refusing to make the call and ask Michael to fix things. The last thing any of them wanted was for the bad emotions to spill into the dish when the White Tigers and All-Starz faced off in the tournament the following day.

----Scene Change----

Kai and Miguel found Michael in Central Park as they walked through trying to enjoy the time away from their teams before they squared off against each other in the dish. Kai gently nudged Miguel and pointed towards where Michael was clearly sulking. Miguel gave his phoenix's hand a gentle tug and walked over to the bench Michael was sitting on. "Did you have to flirt with that fan right in front of Lee?"

"It's how I deal with the fans. If I give them a nice smile, tell them they look good and accept their phone number they leave quicker because they think they actually have a shot of getting into my bed. I don't mean anything by it." Michael refused to look at the happy couple until a hand was gently rested on his shoulder. He was surprised to meet Kai's ruby orbs when he finally raised his own.

"Don't do this to him Michael. People can't have a successful relationship when the relationship isn't clearly defined. Either break up with him or commit to him. Either way you have to stop toying with his heart they way you've been. You're doing more harm than good by being with him like you are." Michael nodded and stayed silent. The phoenix and gargoyle stood and left hand in had so that Michael could be alone to think.

Michael pulled out a cigarette and lit it as he thought about addiction once again. _Maybe love is an addiction. Maybe. I really don't know if I'm in love with him. I do know that I need him. Hopefully it'll be enough for him to know that much. Hopefully he'll stay with me if he knows that I can't live without him. I really don't know if I can take losing him. Maybe I have to lose him. If I don't lose him I'll cage him because he'll come into the cage I've built for myself. Can I really do that to him? Can I really be the one to take away his freedom and break his spirit by closing and locking the cage door behind him? He's better off without me. That much I know for sure._

* * *

And so ends the fourth and second to last chapter. Only one more chapter.Will Michael and Lee make their relationship work or will Michael leavebecause he thinks it's what Lee needs? You'll have to read to find out. Please review! 


	5. A New Kind Of Addiction

The final chapter... dun dun dun... it's the longest chapter to boot! I'm glad you're all enjoying this so much. I'm considering doing a sequel, but it depends on what you all think so review or drop me an e-mail and let me know!

"blah" - talking

_blah_ - thinking

* * *

The teams were gathered in the stadium the next day waiting for the tournament to begin. The White Tigers and All-Starz were up first, but that wasn't for another hour so they decided to just chill out together in the meantime. Michael walked over to where the White Tigers were standing and tapped Lee on the shoulder. The lion looked up and swiftly glared at him. "What do you want?" 

"I want to talk to you privately for a minute. There's something I need to tell you and I'd rather not say it in front of everyone." Lee looked at him for a moment before nodding and following him to a secluded corner of the room away from all of the other bladers. Lee could tell by the look on Michael's face that whatever was about to be said was going to be hard on the eagle. All Lee could do was hope that it didn't hurt them both.

"What is it eagle? What's bothering you?" Le asked after a few minutes of waiting for the other to speak his mind.

Michael forced himself to look Lee in the eyes as he answered. "I think we need to stop kidding ourselves and end whatever it is that we have going. It's not helping either of us." He kicked himself mentally the moment the words were out of his mouth. The reaction from Lee was immediate and it was incredibly painful to watch. The lion's bronze eye's immediately filled with hurt, pain and confusion.

"Michael? I don't understand. Why are you breaking up with me? Did something change or happen? I thought you liked me. Why are you doing this?" The questions were almost too much for the American eagle. He didn't want to answer them, but knew he had to.

"Lee, it's just not working. We can't go on like we have been. I'm no good for you. I'll only cage you and I won't be the one to do that. Besides, it's not like you're in love with me or something." Michael continued to meet his now ex-lover's eyes as he explained himself. This had to be done if Lee was ever going to be happy with his life.

"How the hell can you presume to know how I feel?" Lee practically shouted his question and in doing so caught the attention of everyone in the room. "How dare you tell me I'm not in love with you when I've known for months that I'm head over heels for you?" A new emotion was added to the mix that Michael had been seeing; anger. He had thoroughly pissed off the lion now.

Quietly and calmly Michael answered Lee's question honestly. "People don't fall in love with me Lee. They fall in lust or like, but not love. There's no way you could possibly love me so just move on with your life and leave me out of it. It's for your own good." Michael started to turn to walk away when Lee's fist connected solidly with his jaw. The eagle hit the ground and looked up at the furious lion. Without saying anything he simply gathered himself from the floor and walked out of the room as if nothing had happened.

Michael walked out of the stadium and lit up a cigarette to help steady his nerves. _It's better this way. My heart may never be whole again, but at least Lee will learn to move on in time. His heart will mend and he'll fall in love for real. Somebody much better suited to him. I was confined to my prison years ago. It's not fair to ask him to share my cell with me._

He tossed the finished cigarette to the ground and lit up a second one. His nerves were a wreck and the nicotine didn't seem to be helping as much as it usually did. He could hear voices from his past coming back to haunt him. Taunts about how no one could ever love someone as arrogant and obnoxious as him. He was only a good for nothing trouble maker that would be lonely forever. The people that were meant to help him through life had done nothing of the sort. They had instead built a cage for him so small that he couldn't stretch his once magnificent wings. Then just for the fun of it, for he would never escape his cage, they clipped his wings to prevent him from ever even hoping to soar like the proud eagle he was supposed to be. "Good for nothing except to be a dumb jock" he whispered to the air.

"Do you really think that? Do you honestly believe that you're just a dumb jock and not an absolutely amazing person?"

Michael turned abruptly surprised by the voice and its owner. "Lee, I thought I made myself clear. I don't want to be with you anymore."

"You made yourself clear, but perhaps I didn't make myself heard. I love you. It's really that simple. I'm not sure which moron told you that you can't be loved, but they were wrong. I fell in love with you a long time ago and I can't see that changing. I know that you think you're not good for me, but you're wrong. I've never been happier than when I'm with you. Besides you may think that you've made it clear that you don't want to be with me, but I don't believe you. If you didn't want to be with me then why did you buy these?" Lee produced two necklaces each with a pendant; one of a lion and the other of an eagle.

"How did you get those?"

"They fell out of your pocket after I punched you. Why did you buy them if you were planning on breaking up with me?"

"I bought those before I realized how much better off you are without me. Lee, I can't break free from my cage and I can't ask you to join me in it. My wings were clipped a long time ago. I'll never know true freedom. You gave me a taste of it, but I won't hold you back. You'll find someone else, someone better, someone who can love you in return." Michael turned his back on the lion hoping that Lee would simply leave him alone, but Lee was stubborn and refused to give up so easily.

"I love you Michael. I want to be with you. I refuse to let you go. Stop pushing me away." Michael could feel Lee's warmth as he gently placed the gold chain and lion pendant around the eagle's neck. "I won't accept you leaving. I need you to be there for me to get through each and every day." Lee's arms wound around Michael's waist securely as he buried his face between his eagle's shoulder blades like he had done on the balcony two nights before.

Michael turned around in Lee's grip and tilted his chin up to get a better look into those eye catching bronze orbs. "You really want to be with me that badly." Lee merely nodded his eyes hopeful. "Then I don't think I can tell you no. Then again it's getting harder and harder as the days go by to say no to you. I don't know if I'm in love with you Lee. I've only ever loved my sister and this feels very different. I do know that I'm addicted to you and that I can't live without you. I just didn't want you to be in pain because you were trying to be with me." Lee closed the gap between their lips and crushed them together in a desperate kiss that Michael eagerly responded to.

The couple, official for the first time in over a year, walked into the stadium with the eagle's arm wrapped firmly around his lion's waist. Michael pulled out his pack of cigarettes and tossed them into a trash can before smiling at Lee's confused look. "I don't need 'em when I've got you to calm me down." Lee grinned up at the older teen before snuggling into his side.

"You two really are sickeningly cute. I take it you patched things up?" The couple looked up to see Miguel and Kai standing in the hallway with their arms wrapped around each other.

"I could say the same thing about you two." The two couples smiled at each other knowing that few others would truly understand what it was like to be them. After all, they were the only ones who seemed to understand that love is an addiction that can destroy you or send you to higher heights than you ever dreamt possible.

* * *

I'm really pleased with how this turned out. I firmly believe that if you are truly in love with someone it's like an addiction, you just can't survive without the person to help you feel good. Possibly sequel coming as well as a Miguel/Kai oneshot. I'd be thrilled if you all came back to read my future work.Please review!

Love ya! - NiennaAngel


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